Former GOP Rep. Vito Fossella, who left the House amid scandal
in 2008, declined to close the door completely on a possible bid
against Rep. Michael Grimm (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) next year, even though he said he currently has no plans to run.

Fossella said that Republicans from Staten Island, elsewhere in New York and Washington, D.C. "have approached me to see if I'd be interested" in running again. He declined to say who exactly had approached him.

"I told them I'm at a good spot in my life and I have no plans to seek public office," Fossella told the Advance on Wednesday.

However, Fossella added, "That could change tomorrow or next week."

When told that that made it sound as though the door was open to a House run, Fossella responded, "The door is always open."

He said, "If things change down the line, we'll revisit it. But I can't say now that I'm ready to do so."

Brooklyn Democratic City Councilman Domenic M. Recchia has already announced he will run against Grimm in 2014.

Democrats said the Fossella story showed that Republicans are concerned about having Grimm, whose 2010 campaign fundraising is being investigated, as their candidate.

The congressman has denied the fundraising allegations and has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

And speaking to the Advance on Wednesday night, Grimm touted the backing that he has in hand from the GOP chairmen of Staten Island, Brooklyn and New York state, as well as from the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) in Washington, D.C.

Of Fossella's conversations with Republicans, Grimm said, "If you're not speaking to the chairmen, who are you speaking to of any relevance?"

He said, "No one in the hierarchy of the party ... has spoken to any other candidate, including Vito."

Grimm said he had no problem with Fossella's saying that the door was open to a possible future run.

"He was congressman," said Grimm. "He did a great job. I can understand why he would always keep his options open. If he ran, he has every right to run. He served well."

That being said, Grimm added, "I think I've done a heck of a job. I don't see any reason why Vito would want to change that leadership."

Grimm blamed the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for leaking the initial story of Fossella's conversations to the press.

"This was planted," he said. "It's a complete hit piece."

The DCCC's Marc Brumer said, "Congressman Grimm's ongoing FBI investigation has been serious cause for concern for quite some time, and now it looks like Republicans are clearly becoming increasingly concerned too."

Borough GOP chairman John Antoniello also hit at the Dems.

"This is clearly a false statement planted by Democrats that lacks any credibility," he said. "Michael Grimm is our congressman and our candidate. He's done a great job and we're proud to have him as our representative."

"This is a complete fabrication and a ridiculous notion," said Greg Walden (R-Ore.), the NRCC chairman. "Michael Grimm has not only proven he knows how to win this district, but he's also been an effective legislator for his constituents back home."

Said state GOP chairman Ed Cox, "Michael Grimm has the party's full support and any other rumors are simply false. His record has been exemplary and not only do we stand behind him in his re-election campaign, we expect a big victory."

The married Fossella did not seek re-election and left the House at the end of his term in 2008 after a DUI arrest led to revelations that he had fathered a child with another woman during an extramarital affair.

Fossella is now a managing director at Park Strategies, the lobbying firm run by former GOP U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato.

After initially avoiding the spotlight, he has been upping his political profile in recent years. He backed Newt Gingrich for president in 2012, including attendance at a Gingrich event on the Island, and also made a well-received appearance at the GOP national convention in Tampa, Fla.